1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus, system, and method for providing contents stored in a server, and to user interface technology.
2. Description of the Related Art
Since computer networks have widely been used at home, it is common to connect computers in different rooms with each other via a wireless LAN and to share a printer among the computers. Furthermore, a still image captured by a digital camera and a video downloaded from the Internet is not only stored in a computer, but the image and the video stored in the computer will be also displayed on a television system screen in a living room via a network and viewed by family members.
Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) is an industry standard for interconnecting the electronic appliances at home that are supplied by different manufacturers. A DLNA server stores a large number of contents such as movies, music, or images that have been obtained by a personal video camera, a digital camera, audio play software with a ripping function or the like, or alternatively downloaded via the Internet.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,563,999 discloses a game console with an audio and visual function.
It is difficult to manage a large number of contents stored in the DLNA server in such a manner that the contents can be easily browsed. In particular, if the family members share the DLNA server and/or a number of network appliances are clients of the DLNA server, the enormous amount of the contents will be stored in the DLNA server. As a result, there will be limitations to the management of the contents using a hierarchical structure of folders provided by a conventional operating system. If a user does not memorize in which folder a desired content has been stored, it is difficult to find out the content. As long as the user relies on his/her memory, the larger number of contents the DLNA server manages, the more difficult it becomes for the user to reach the desired content.